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Top talent in the Netherlands

The Dutch government is working to attract top quality students and knowledge workers for key sectors and to make it even more attractive for international talent to remain in the Netherlands.

25 July 2013

Attracting international talent to Amsterdam

The Social and Economic Council (SER), the main advisory body to the Dutch government for national and international social and economic policy, recently published an advisory report titled 'Make it in the Netherlands!' This concluded that the local economy and higher education sector would benefit enormously if talented international students can be persuaded to study in the country and also remain here to begin their career following graduation. Click here to read the full abstract of the 'Make it in the Netherlands!' report.

International researchers

Earlier research has shown that the Netherlands remains an immensely popular destination for researchers from outside of the European Union. The technical universities in the Netherlands have proven to be particularly attractive for international researchers, with the majority based at the universities in Delft and Eindhoven.

Talented workforce

The Amsterdam Area is also home to a very broad talent pool. The city has a productive regional workforce drawing from 180 different nationalities, and 44% of the population has attended higher education institutions. Amsterdam also has the country’s highest density of knowledge workers and an increasing influx of workers from other EU countries, all facilitated by the services of the Expatcenter.

Eighty percent of the workforce speaks English, making Amsterdam the largest anglophone city in continental Europe. Ninety percent of the workforce speaks two or more languages. According to the World Talent Index, the Netherlands ranks fourth in the world for attracting and developing talent, surpassing every other country on the European continent.